4

Raspberry Bublanina #BakeForWest

On April 17th, a small town named West in Texas was rocked by a fertilizer plant explosion. 15 people lost their lives with almost 200 injured. Many of those that fell were firefighters that were first to the scene. It’s such a tragic event to hit this little Czech/Texan community. With more then $100 million in damage, my fellow bloggers and I decided to #BakeForWest to show our support in hopes to raise awareness for those to donate to help this great Czech/Texan town West, TX.

I live about two hours from West, TX. My sweet V and his parents are Czech.  His parents came to Texas more then 25 years ago from the Czech Republic and they love it here. When I witnessed the tragedy on the news I knew I had to help somehow.

Raspberry Bublanina

In West, Texas is a quaint little shop called the  Czech Stop that are famous for their kolaches. It’s right off one of our main highways. The town is well known for its Czech culture and heritage  In fact, the Czech Republic is donating monies to help with this community. It may not be much but it is nice of them to put forward an effort to help.

Raspberry Bublanina

Today, I am using a recipe that V’s mom sent me a few years ago after she baked me this wonderful cake with fresh plums from the tree in her backyard. It is traditionally made with cherries or other fresh picked berries that grow wild in the Czech Republic. I looked everywhere for cherries but they are not in season here yet. I decided to settle on raspberries since they are a berry and one of V’s favorites. Here is my #BakeForWest recipe: Raspberry Bublanina (bubbly cake) in honor for those lost or injured in this horrible tragedy.

Raspberry Bublanina

Raspberry Bublanina

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups whole milk
5 eggs, separated, save whites
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 lemon, zested & juiced
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups of raspberries; or fruit you would like.
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 9x11 pan and set aside. Toss raspberries in one to tablespoons flour and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Set bowl aside. Separate eggs yolks from whites into two small bowls. In a stand mixer beat the egg whites on a 10 for 2 to 3 minutes until they form stiff white peaks. You may also hand whisk the egg whites.

In a large bowl, whisk together milk, egg yolks, lemon juice, and vegetable oil until the batter is smooth like silk. Slowly whisk in dry ingredients with the wet until the batter is smooth. Using a spatula, fold in the egg whites slowly and carefully. Do not over mix. The egg whites will create your bubbly top.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a small butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature and shift powdered sugar over the top of the cake. Serve in small squares.

http://mooshujenne.com/raspberry-bublanina-bakeforwest/

If you would like to donate to help those in West, TX you can donate here through the Pointwest bank.

bakeforwest

Please take a moment and stop by to visit these other fantastic foodies for their wonderful Czech desserts for #BakeForWest

0

Plněná paprika polévka – Stuffed pepper soup

This plnena paprika polevka also know as stuffed pepper soup has been lurking in my folder for about two weeks now. I held off on it to finish the boards to photograph it on and once I finally photographed it I realized I left thick soup all along the edge and it looks horrible; well to me it looks horrible.  The plan to remake the soup continued to be put off since the weather is considerably hot here for this time of year. It probably just best to go ahead and share it. If we end up with another cold and rainy day I can always remake the soup and get some gorgeous shots.

Stuffed Pepper Soup - Plnena Paprika Polevka

Czechs generally make stuffed bell peppers a bit different then Italians do. My other half and I figured that out the first time we decided to make stuffed peppers together. He is full blooded Czech and well I’m Italian with other heritage but more prone to the Italian as I was raised with that cuisine and values. Czech stuffed peppers are simmered on a stove with paprika, rice, and ground beef  while Italian stuffed pepper are baked in the oven without paprika and a small amount of tomato sauce. This stuffed pepper soup is a rendition of Czech stuffed peppers turned inside out to make a soup. Love Czech stuffed peppers with dumplings also known as knedliky. We just had garlic bread at the time but it would have been nice to pair them with this soup.

The board turned out nice in the photograph. I am working on several others and thinking about a DIY post. Anyone that would be interested? The boards I am working on are going to be chalkboard, crackled,  and stained. Most of them will be painted with basic cheap acrylic paints you can pick up at any hobby store. Hoping to get the rest of them cut tonight so I can work on them over the next few days.  Also in some serious need for heavy poster board. Looks like another run to the Dollar Tree.

Plněná paprika polévka – Stuffed pepper soup

Plněná paprika polévka – Stuffed pepper soup

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers; diced
2 yellow bell peppers; diced
2 orange bell peppers; diced
1 white onion; diced
3 garlic cloves; minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 cup of white long grain rice
2 large cans of tomato sauce
3 regular sized cans of stewed tomatoes or diced
3 tablespoons paprika
salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large pot, on medium high heat, add in diced onion, garlic, and peppers. Add in two tablespoons of olive oil and saute for about 2 minutes. Add in ground beef and cook with vegetables until meat is browned.

Add paprika to the beef once browned and stir well incorporating all of the paprika. Add in the rice, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Using the tomato cans put in a little water to clean off sides and add that water to the pot. Bring the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you would like the soup thinner just add any broth of choice. Garnish soup with parsley, dumplings, and fresh bell pepper.

http://mooshujenne.com/plnena-paprika-polevka-stuffed-pepper-soup/

And now I am off to cut those boards… well make the other half do it while I eat fresh tortillas with salsa and butter. Guilty pleasure!

0

Roasted Tomato Rotini – Food Bloggers Against Hunger

Today, I am happy to be a part of Food Bloggers Against Hunger and share with you a simple less then $4 recipe for roasted tomato rotini. Before I pass you on to the recipe I would like to share a story with you below.

Here is a bit more on Food Bloggers Against Hunger:

Food Bloggers Against Hunger was created by Nicole from The Giving Table in response to the new documentary, A Place at the Table.  Today, April 8, 2013, food bloggers will donate their posts to raise awareness about the film, issues of hunger, and ask their readers to send letters to Congress to protect SNAP funding and make anti-hunger legislation a priority.

A Place at the Table premiered on March 1st, 2013.  This documentary from Participant Media—the same studio that brought you Food Inc.—follows three families struggling with food insecurity, and sheds light on the very real problem of hunger in America.

Please refresh is video doesn’t pop up :)

Food Bloggers Against Hunger – April 8, 2013 from Nicole Gulotta on Vimeo.

My first child was born when I was 16, two weeks away from my 17th birthday. He was my perfect birthday gift. With plenty of help from my grandmother, I moved on to get my GED and got a decent job alternating schedules with my grandmother; so my son would never have to go to a daycare.  I was a single mom.

Then a few months after giving birth to my son I met Mike. This brilliant full of life individual that I fell passionately in love with at first sight.  Another few months pass and with great surprise I find out I am expecting my second child. Mike was  immediately excited and got a job at a local ice cream joint. After the baby was born I went to work as a photographer. We eventually got our own apartment. We had two incomes but we still didn’t have enough to afford to pay for the food. We decided to go out and look for help, something that most people fear. We got SNAP which then was called Lone Star and we received WIC. Both programs helped with baby food and formula but still did not cover all food costs for the four of us.

At least we both had creative imaginations and a love for food. We shopped sparingly by buying in bulk such as: rice, pasta, and flour. We bought cheap packages of meat at the meat market, in which, we broke down in to small amounts to last the entire month. Ramen was a necessity in our home. The cheapest pasta you could buy and add a tad of chicken and small handful of spring onions creating a delicious dinner to us. We eventually made enough money to support ourselves.

In 2000,  he passed away while I was pregnant with our daughter. I once again needed help with food. Only this time I learned how to make food stretch. That scrapes made great stocks and lemons, grapefruits, and orange peels were easy to make candy out of for the kids.  Luckily, three years later I would meet another man, my V, that would step in to help me with the kids and to follow my dreams. The kids are all now beautiful teenagers and the middle one works in a restaurant. Not everyone can be this lucky.  More then 50 million people are food insecure (no means to have a constant nutritious meal).

To this day I still make some of the recipes we created to save on food costs. Continuously buying bulk foods to stock in the pantry never knowing when we could end up with out money for food. Always playing it safe I bought a deep freeze and I over stock it just like my pantry. These are not bad practices to always make sure if you lose a job or become short on money that you will still have food to last; even in a natural disaster or power outage the food that is needed will be there.

So, how can YOU (and all of us) help?

To follow along you can use hash tag #takeyourplace or join us on FB at The Giving Table’s fan page. To have a look at the delicious low cost recipes you can check out the pinterest board here.

rotini1

 

My recipe that will feed 5 people for under $4 total.

Roasted Tomato Rotini

Roasted Tomato Rotini

Ingredients

1 lb package tri-color rotini or any pasta similar such as Barilla Tri-color Rotini
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes; store brand is just as good.
Salt and pepper
Optional: grated parmesan

Instructions

Fill large pot half full with water. Bring to a boil and add in pasta. Cook for 9 minutes or until pasta is talking to you. Drain most of the water reserving a small amount. Open tomato cans and pour over pasta. Do not drain juice from can as this adds flavor to the pasta.

There is no needs to heat the tomatoes as the hot pasta will warm them for you. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with parmesan if desired.

Side note: Have friends collect anything condiments they get when they go out to eat and do the same yourself. Most of the time this gets thrown away and it is perfectly good to store and use. I keep a ziplock bag of extras we get in case we ever run out of something.

http://mooshujenne.com/roasted-tomato-rotini/

0

Slam Dunked Onion – LG Do March Right

With March Madness in full swing it is time to get your game day recipes on! LG Do March Right is asking all of us to share our game day recipes for a chance to win a trip to Atlanta for two to the playoff games. You can enter to win on their Facebook page above.  One of the game day recipes I make at home is my Slam Dunked Onion! Of course I shared it on the LG Do March Right Facebook page and your more then welcome to look for it in the recipes album and like away!

Slam Dunked Onion

March Madness in my house generally consists of my son, Chancelor, watching the Boston Celtics as much as possible paired with quick fried recipes. Probably should implement some healthy recipes but it is our excuse to eat fried food ;)

This recipe is a knock off of the famous fried onion recipes that grace many steak restaurants in our area. Generally, this is the appetizer before you have steak. Slam Dunked Onion is makes enough to go around for five people. We usually have a guest or two over and still have plenty. It’s my opener and then I serve up some brisket tacos with all the toppings.

Slam Dunked Onion LG Do March Right

What recipe would you submit as your #LGDoMarchRight game day recipe? Do you plan to enter to win the trip for two to the final four? Let me know what recipe you submitted in the comments so I can hop on over and have a look!

So far a few of the recipes look absolutely amazing! Monte Cristo Poppers, Muffuletta Bites, Dill Pickle Dip, and Jambalaya Stuffed Mushrooms. I will be watching along for these nifty ideas for #LGDoMarchRight March Madness game day recipes.

Here is the recipe for my Slam Dunked Onion. If you would like you can follow along on Twitter at #LGDoMarchRight. Here is my video on how to hand cut the onion to make it into the blossom.

Slam Dunked Onion – LG Do March Right

Slam Dunked Onion – LG Do March Right

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion
1 1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 cups buttermilk
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a medium pot add vegetable oil and heat to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, add flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Whisk ingredients until will incorporated.

Slice onion on four sides slightly away from the top. Cut again between those slicing and repeat until you have petal shapes. Starting at the outer layer pull the petals down easily working your way to the center.

In a medium bowl, add buttermilk and onion bottom side down. Wet onion and then add to flour mixture. Toss flour mixture over the top of the onion with a graded spoon. Shake off onion and add to back to buttermilk upside down. Wet onion with buttermilk well and toss again with flour mixture. Shake off excess.

Add onion to the hot oil with petals facing downward. Fry for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Remove onion with spider and turn over with petals facing up and fry for 2 more minutes. Remove to paper towels or wax paper to drain. Serve promptly with ranch or sauce of choice.

http://mooshujenne.com/slam-dunked-onion-lg-do-march-right/

 

This game-time recipe has been submitted for LG’s Do March Right Tip-Off Challenge.

47

Strawberry Banana French Toast & Calphalon Giveaway

Before I tell you how to win the Calphalon digital convection oven you must first read all about my strawberry banana french toast I baked up in my very own Calphalon digital convection oven that they so sweetly sent me.

For years I bugged the other half to buy me a convection oven to use endlessly for easy dinners. What I LOVE about this convection oven is the size. It fits a small pizza or a 9×13 cookies sheet. Yes, you can bake cookies in it in the summer without heating up the entire house. How brilliant is that in Texas’ super hot summer heat!

The oven is perfect for teenagers that have light cooking skills. On more then four occasions now my teenagers have used it to make their dinners while the other half and I headed out for date night. They love it too! The convection oven has custom time and temperature settings for bagels, pizza and cookies. The pull out crumb tray makes it a breeze to clean. It takes reading the manual and playing with the settings to get use to and remember how to work it. I already have it aced though!

Below the recipe is the giveaway but first here is a look at one of the easy make head or do the day of breakfast recipes we baked up in the digital convection oven.

Strawberry Banana French Toast

Strawberry Banana French Toast & Calphalon Giveaway

Strawberry Banana French Toast & Calphalon Giveaway

Ingredients

1 banana; sliced
4 strawberries; remove tops and sliced
3 sliced of french bread; crusts removed and tear into small pieces
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, add in egg, milk, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until mixture is well blended.

In a baking dish, add bread, bananas, and strawberries. Toss to even out the fruit with bread. Top with wet mixture and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until egg is set and top is lightly browned. Serve warm.

http://mooshujenne.com/baked-strawberry-banana-french-toast/

Please follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below in order to enter to win the Calphalon digital convection oven. It is mandatory that you comment the blog in order to be entered to win! Don’t forget that you can tweet about the giveaway daily through the Rafflecopter for extra daily entries! If you share it on Pinterest let me know in the comments for another extra entry.

calphalon digital convection oven

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure: Calphalon is providing one winner with a digital convection oven.  I was not reimbursed for writing this post and all opinions expressed here are my own.

9

Buttermilk Fried Pickles #SundaySupper

Buttermilk fried pickles is a recipe I make every Superbowl to start off the feast. The first few years I made these I used beer batter, regular flour, and a tons of spices. The spices have stayed but the beer and the flour changed after trying various recipes through out the years.

buttermilk fried pickles

The first and foremost important tip to remember is to get Vlasic as these pickles are crisp. You MUST have a crisp pickle to make them or they will fall apart when frying. The flavor or spice of the pickle is up to you. I have fried up dill pickles but this year I am putting a twist on the traditional favorite by using bread and butter pickles. Along with that change I used cake flour and buttermilk to bread the pickles. The cake flour is light and airy. It creates the perfect batter and the buttermilk helps the flour to attach in flaky layers. Paprika and cayenne pepper are a must for seasoning!

Buttermilk Fried Pickles

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 6

Buttermilk Fried Pickles

Ingredients

1 jar of pickles; your choice of flavor
1 to 1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Open pickles and drain off the juice into the sink. Place pickles in a large bowl. Pour buttermilk over pickles and let rest for about 2 minutes.

In a skillet or deep saute pan, add oil and heat to a medium heat for frying.

In medium sized bowl, add cake flour and spices; whisk until spices are integrated. Toss a few pickles in flour batter at a time. Add pickles to frying pan and fry for about 30 seconds to a 1 minute on each side. They will cook fast! If the batter starts to brown fast then turn down the heat a little. Drain pickles on a paper towel. Serve with ranch dressing or ranch dipping sauce.

http://mooshujenne.com/buttermilk-fried-pickles/

 

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Appetizers & Snacks:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Main Dishes:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Desserts:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Tablescape: 10 Tips For A Winning Superbowl Buffet Table from An Appealing Plan

0

Pinto Bean Chili

Pinto bean chili is one of the simplest dishes that will feed a crowd. It will keep and keep! That just reminded me of cook on the movie Atlantis where he goes on about the beans and everyone thinks UGH because they are tired of them. He literally says “They will keep and keep!” We used to watch that movie all the time when my kids were younger. I need to obtain that movie on Blu ray. *Runs off to search and check food in oven*

I’m back! Does not look like they have it for Blu ray with a quick search. Might have to do a extended search to see what I can find and add Hotel Transylvania to the check out too! Anyway, back to the pinto bean chili! Does that cornbread just look delish!

pinto bean chili

Love how this comes together as just slow cooked beans and you can have them completely vegetarian or with bacon or ground beef. I am not a huge fan of ground beef so I always go to my favorite meat which is bacon. It adds a smokey flavor. It is also easy to add carrots, celery, or even stewed tomatoes. If you want to add vegetables then it is best to do them at the beginning when sauteing the onion, peppers, and garlic. If you want to add stewed tomatoes it is best to stir them in about 30 minutes before serving. My recipe is the basic recipe that allows you to add whatever you would like to it along with controlling the heat. If you want it hotter add more peppers and if you want it cooler then add less peppers. Mine is a tad spicy for the little ones but great for the teens and adults without setting mouths ablaze.

Pinto Bean Chili

Pinto Bean Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion; minced
5 cloves of garlic; minced
3 jalapeno peppers; de-seeded, de-ribbed, and minced
2 lb bag of pinto beans; rinsed, not pre-soaked.
1 large container of stock (beef, chicken, or vegetable works)
1 lb bacon; sliced in halves; not cooked
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large pot, add minced onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers. Saute on medium heat for about three minutes. Add in cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper; stir well. Add rinsed beans and stir to mix the beans with vegetables. Add container of stock and bacon halves to pot. Fill the rest of the pot to the top with water. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once at a boil lower to a medium heat. Cook for about 5 hours until the beans are soft and liquid has thickened; stir often. Serve with cornbread or topped with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

http://mooshujenne.com/pinto-bean-chili/

Today, Food Network and a group of bloggers are featuring Chili (for #Superbowl) for this week’s Comfort Food Feast event. Please stop by and see what everyone made:

Jeanette’s Healthy LivingCrock Pot Cincinnati Chicken Chili
The Heritage CookGluten-Free Green Chile and Chicken Taco Bowls
The Cultural DishCrock-Pot Chili
Big Girls, Small KitchenHealthy Chicken Chili With Barley
What’s Gaby CookingSmoky Chipotle Chicken Chili
Feed Me PhoebeChicken and White Bean Chili
Dishin & DishesLean Mean Game-Day Chili
The Lemon BowlBeef Chili With Black Beans
Devour4 Twists on Chili for the Super Bowl
Thursday Night Dinner3 Most Favorite Chili Recipes
FN Dish7 Chili Recipes for the Big Game

36

#SundaySupper – Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake

Growing up there was this old drive in my grandparents used to take me to that served patty melts and delicious food. I remember the green sign and the big bags of fries. Nothing like any other joint around. It was called Lucky Boy. My grandmother loved their pastrami sandwiches. My grandfather loved the burgers and fries. I remember the milkshakes.

Lucky Boy in South Gate - Patty Melt

Lucky Boy in South Gate

I want to give everyone a dish that would be reminiscent of a time I spent with my family for this #SundaySupper. So here is my version of a patty melt, hand cut fries, and a chocolate milkshake.

Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 burgers, a bucket of fries, and one shake per recipe ingredients.

Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake

Ingredients

For Patty Melt
One loaf rye bread
1 1/2 lbs grounds beef
Sliced cheese of choice (we used cheddar and pepperjack)
1 onion; sliced in rounds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter for bread
For Hand Cut Fries
6 to 8 potatoes; sliced into strips
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
For Chocolate Milkshake
3 scoops of chocolate ice cream
1/2 cup milk
3 squeezes of chocolate syrup

Instructions

For Patty Melt

Make hamburger patties square or round to your preference. In a frying pan, add one tablespoon olive oil and fry burgers until cooked to desired wellness. Pull out patties and butter the bread. Toast bread with cheeses and add the meat. Serve with gooey cheesiness!

For Hand Cut Fries

Wash potatoes and cut in half and then in to long strips. Heat oil to medium heat and fry potatoes until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and then salt and pepper to taste. A small amount of cinnamon, paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper makes a wonderful seasoning to the frie.

For Chocolate Shakes

In a blender, add three scoops of chocolate ice cream and 1/2 cup of milk. Blend for 1 minute on high. Add three squeezes of chocolate syrup and blend for 30 seconds. Serve with whipping topping and a cherry or plain jane.

http://mooshujenne.com/patty-melt-hand-cut-fries-a-shake/

Sunday Supper Retro Appetizers:

 Sunday Supper Retro Salads:

 Sunday Supper Retro Breads and Sandwiches:

SundaySupper Main Dishes:

Sunday Supper Retro Sides and Veggies:

 Sunday Supper Retro Desserts and Cocktails:

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

2

Mardi Gras Cupcakes

It’s carnival time again and I am counting the days till Fat Tuesday when I get to celebrate with fried gator tail and plenty of drinks. Until that time I plan on cooking everything Cajun in my book of secrets. Hence the Mardi Gras cupcake recipe.

Last year, I bought some doubloons from the dollar store to decorate my cupcakes with. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to use them. Though I am glad because I did not know my way around my new camera then. Now my abilities have grown and well I hope you can see that in the pictures below.

Mardi Gras Cupcake

One of the many questions I get asked is how do you swirl icing. It’s pretty simple! I just add a tad of each color to different spots in the pastry piping bag and then squeeze. I only add a little at a time of each or the colors tend to blend too much. You can see my bag below :)

Mardi Gras Icing

The tip I used is 1M by Wilton. I like this shape a lot for cupcakes as it gives a nice ice cream swirl effect. The Mardi Gras beads are a part of the collection of beads I have started to get ready for all the Fat Tuesday fun. I picked them up at the local Dollar Tree if you are interested in getting some of your own.

Now, I cannot take full credit on this recipe as my daughter, whom is 12, took the fun of baking these cupcakes. With a recipe from me she had fun with the colors and the endless licking of all the bowls. That is her favorite part of baking sweets. In fact, I generally have to continue to tell her the licking belongs at the end of baking not while we are trying to mix everything. She’s hilarious!

Mardi Gras Cupcakes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: About 16 cupcakes

Mardi Gras Cupcakes

Ingredients

For Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Malibu coconut rum
1/2 cup oil olive oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
Yellow gel food coloring
Purple gel food coloring
Green gel food coloring
For Frosting
2 cups unsalted butter , at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with whisk, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs, sugar, vanilla, rum, and oil; beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture. Add half of the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the buttermilk; beat until combined.

Separate batter into bowls and color with gel food coloring in yellow, purple, and green. Pour a little of each batter into lined cupcake. Fill liners a little over half full. Bake cupcakes 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For Frosting

Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 2 minutes till butter is soft and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mix well. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. To color frosting just whip with purple, yellow, and green gel food coloring individually.

To swirl the frosting, simply put each color of frosting on each side of bag and pipe. I used a 1M tip from Wilton.

http://mooshujenne.com/mardi-gras-cupcakes/

0

Shepherd’s Hand Pies

Yes, I love pie! Oddly enough I prefer cherry or meat pies. These Shepherd’s Hand Pies feature shepherd’s pie in a handmade pie crust. The can be made with beef, chicken  or just vegetarian. Creativity with this recipe is your friends. The more intricate the ingredients the richer the flavors. I make these with beef and onion as the flavors just fall together. For vegetarians mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, onion, celery, and corn make a pie. For the gravy just use cooked carrots and blend them in a blender with a bit of heavy whipping cream. They make a fantastic gravy that is full of color and nutrients. If your a chicken fan you can do chicken with a chicken gravy and matching vegetables. If you really want to jump out of the box you can use crawfish or crab meat to make a seafood rendition.

Shepherd's Hand Pies

Hand pies are delicious fresh or they can be frozen to heat up later on another occasion. This makes them perfect for movie night or for weeknight TV shows you don’t want to miss; such as Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Haven, Grimm, and Once Upon a Time. Hmm… did I leave one out? Oh! Of course our beloved The Walking Dead. Do have to say I have been waiting for them to kill off the annoying blonde and the governor. Just not a fan of nut jobs.

Speaking of Vampire Diaries, is anyone else tired of the poor Elena thing? I am. Let’s get on with it. Damon and Elena should be together. Let Tyler hook up with the wolf chic from Secret Circle, and the judgmental Stefan and Caroline should end up together. Maybe spin off some weird love relationship with Klaus and Bonnie as they will both soon hate the new professor in town.

Anywho! Back to the pies.

Shepherd

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 12 pies

Shepherd

Ingredients

For Filling:
1 lb ground beef
1 can of gravy (canned, jar, or homemade)
2 carrots (diced)
1 potato (diced)
1 can of corn
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 yellow onion (diced)
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 egg
For Crust:
You may use a homemade recipe or store bought.
I suggest homemade as it stretches more.

Instructions

Roll out pie crust on a large floured surface. Use biscuit cutter to cut the dough and set aside. Repeat until all dough is cut out. Place round crust cutout on floured surface and roll to spread out the circle. Set aside.

In a large skillet, place diced onion, garlic, olive oil, and beef in skillet. Heat to medium high heat. Add salt and pepper. Add in carrots and potato and cook until meat is done. Drain can of corn and add to skillet. Add in gravy and stir well. You may add the mixture to a bowl if you would like before adding in the gravy.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fill rolled out crust circles with about a tablespoon and a half with dough and seal around edges with a fork. Continue until all the dough is used. Beat egg in small bowl and coat over crust. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until crust is a golden color.

Serve with mashed potatoes or by themselves as an appetizer.

http://mooshujenne.com/shepherds-hand-pies/

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Pages ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7